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The Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa reservoir is just 20% full, after a prolonged drought. Low water levels threaten to further reduce generation output at the 2.1GW hydroelectric plant, which supplies over 1GW to neighbouring South Africa and additional output to other Southern African Power Pool (Sapp) countries including Zimbabwe and, soon, Malawi.

Regional utility Zanzibar Electricity Corporation has secured funding for what could be the semi-autonomous region’s first solar PV plant.

Longstanding Azura chief executive Alan Muir has stepped down, replaced by former chief commercial officer Dave Peacock, as the pan-African IPP looks to “broaden its horizons” by embarking on its first renewable and storage developments.

Blended finance vehicle the Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund has committed $29m to Côte d’Ivoire’s largest-ever solar power project. The project is one of several awarded under a new national IPP framework, as Abidjan looks to greater on-grid renewable capacity and increased imports from new interconnections to meet sharply rising electricity demand.

Maintenance work on the second 930MWe unit at the Koeberg nuclear plant in Cape Town has been completed. Following similar work at unit I in 2023, the lifespan of Africa’s first nuclear power plant – commissioned in 1984 – is expected to be extended by another two decades.

Industry hype over Namibia as one of the world’s hottest offshore frontiers has been tempered by Shell’s announcement that it will take a write-down on nine wells drilled within its operated PEL 39 block. Shell called the move an ‘accounting process’ – and said it still sees additional commercial opportunities in Namibia’s offshore

Construction work has started on the Lower Maguduza hydroelectric power plant in central Eswatini, the country’s first utility-scale, privately financed renewable IPP. The plant is expected to boost the government’s efforts to displace costly power imports.

KenGen has completed environmental and social impact studies for the 140MWe capacity increase at its Olkaria II geothermal facility.

In a significant boost for the London-headquartered indie, the International Chamber of Commerce has ruled that Tullow Oil is not liable for $320m in back taxes claimed by the Ghana Revenue Authority. Some investors say they now see the company turning a corner after a tricky few years.

The 125,000 b/d Warri refinery in Delta State is once again processing crude oil, following a 26-month rehabilitation project carried out by South Korea’s Daewoo Engineering & Contracting. It comes a month after the restart of the 60,000 b/d Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State.

An agreement for the new 80km Mbale-Bulambuli-Kween high-voltage power line has been signed between Kampala and Gridworks. The independent transmission project (ITP) will be privately financed.

Saudi developer Acwa Power and its local partner Hau Energy have secured more than $700m in loans for their Suez West wind project in Egypt, said to be the largest single-contracted wind farm in the Middle East.

Italian major Eni has started production at the second phase of the Baleine field, offshore Côte d’Ivoire. Oil output has increased from 20,000 b/d to 60,000 b/d. A possible third phase expansion of the oil and gas field is currently being studied. Baleine’s associated gas is vital for Côte d’Ivoire’s 908MW of gas-to-power capacity, providing feedstock just as output from the CI-27 block declines.

As demand surges, Kenya is looking to new power developments and imports from the Eastern Africa Power Pool to increase on-grid capacity, with KenGen advancing a new fleet of renewable projects, while a vital new interconnector with Tanzania has been energised and there are signs the IPP moratorium could soon end, writes Marc Howard, recently in Nairobi.

A further $553m pledge has boosted the outgoing Biden administration’s commitments to the Lobito Corridor and adjacent projects to over $4bn. This points to a significant revitalisation of US ties with African countries – which may be too little, too late, although the Lobito project is unlikely to be halted by a more mercantilist Trump administration.